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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. craft — a skill
  6. court — of law
  7. squash — to crush
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. court — of a king
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ball — a dance
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. date — the fruit
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. court — for sport
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com